Pacific Grove police are taking their ongoing contract talks with the city to the mailbox, having sent out thousands of letters to residents and business owners warning them the police force is on the edge of disappearing.

A letter from the Pacific Grove Police Officers’ Association sends a scary warning to residents and businesses stating: "The bottom line is that if things do not improve by the end of the year, your local police department will cease to exist shortly thereafter."

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The police department is currently negotiating a new contract with the city, their current contract ends at the end of next month. Union leaders are trying to negotiate a better pay and benefits package. The letter goes on to warn: “If our department cannot retain its current officers or recruit viable candidates it will be unable to function and the City will have to contract with another department.”

When asked if the letter went too far or appears threatening, the union's spokesman, Sgt. Carl Lafata, said, "It wasn't intended to be bombastic, it wasn't intended to be a threat, it was just basically laying out the reality of it. Sometimes the reality is harsh, but it is what it is, and these are things the public needs to know."

Lafata said the department could lose up to six officers next spring to other agencies that pay better and he said that would leave the department so short staffed the city would have no option but to contract police services with other agencies, possibly the sheriff’s department.

Some city leaders including the city manager were disappointed the union has decided to negotiate in public.

"I think it’s unfortunate. These are issues that we are talking about at the table, negotiating table.. and it’s appropriate they be taken up at the bargaining table," City Manager Thomas Frutchey said.

City leaders said a majority of the city’s budget is spent on public safety and rising retirement costs have put the city in debt.

Frutchey said Pacific Grove officers are still well paid. A rookie cop starts at a salary of between $80,000 and $90,000, he said.

The city manager said if any employees or employee groups have a grip or concern they should come to him first and not the court of public opinion.

"They should come and talk to us we’ll figure out a way to resolve it so I would’ve loved to have had that opportunity to do that before this letter went to the public," said Frutchey.